I think there are a lot of spot-on points in it that are good to remember for those in the business of change. The City has been the worst enemy of the city. I think the most exciting shift is that more people have figured out that we can make Tampa a cool place with or without help from the administration. I started my first nonprofit specifically because the existing government-based development models for the arts were unsatisfying. We're on track this year to give out more than $25,000 in cash and small grants to support the arts and creativity in the Tampa Bay area, which is not a huge amount, but is organically generated and invested in a way that makes a big difference. I was in a focus group hosted by the Tampa Chamber of Commerce a few months ago. My favorite comment was a Star Trek reference: "You must never be afraid to blow up the Enterprise." Or something like that.

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From the beaches to the blocks of downtown Tampa, from hotel lobbies to the Tampa Bay Times Forum, from Innisbrook to Saddlebrook, everything about the Republican National Convention. Welcome to Florida. Welcome to the Tampa Bay area. Welcome to the RNC.